Display rack for containers



March 15, 1960 B. w. ABRAMS ETAL 2,928,551

DISPLAY RACK FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l 551 21149120 KIQWMMS #7 ALB 6f $01M BY JM ATTORNEYS March 15, 1960 Filed April 4, 1958 B. w. ABRAMS ETAL 2,928,551

DISPLAY RACK FOR CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 70 :25 INVENTORS fizzy w 5095319111 fibfil/JZ yoaaa ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,928,551 DISPLAY RACK FOR CONTAINERS Bernard W. Abrams and Alan H. Gould, Atlanta, Ga. Application April 4, 1958', Serial No. 726,497

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-49 The present invention relates to display devices, and particularly to display devices used for displaying bottled beverages.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a display device including a plurality of vertically spaced divider carrying frames pivotally mounted for movement from a horizontal position to a vertical position under spring tension and provided with means for limiting the extent of movement in each direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described above in which a single stop member is effective to limit the movement of the divider frame at a horizontal position and at an upright position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display device of the class described above in which the divider frames automatically pivot from a horizontal position to a vertical position when the displayed merchandise on the divider has been removed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a display device of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to, use, and which will effectively display bottled merchandise arranged in several layers while stabilizing the layers to prevent dislodgement of the bottled merchandise from thedisplay.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line 33' of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the invention. V

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective illustrating the hinge and spring construction. I

Figure 7 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a modified supporting post structure.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a display device constructed in accordance with the invention.

The display device 10 includes a base 11 supporting a horizontal platform 12 on the upper surface thereof. An inverted U-shaped tubular frame generally indicated at 13 is provided with a pair of spaced apart parallel legs 14 integrally connected at their upper ends by a horizontally extending bight 15. The legs 14 are secured to the rear side 16 of the base 11 by means of bolts 17.

The legs 14 extend perpendicularly upwardly from the platform 12 a substantial distance thereabove.

A plurality of horizontally extending vertically spaced apart parallel bars 18 are rigidly secured to the forward.

side of the legs 14 by means of bolts 19.

' 1 Patented "Ma -.315, 1960 The bars 18 are each provided at each end with a perpendicularly offset forwardly extending support member 20, for reasons described below.

A U-shaped frame, generally indicated at 21, includes a pair of spaced apart parallel side bars 22 integrally connected by a front bar 23. I

A stud 24 extends through a bore 25 in the rear end of the side bar 22 and is welded thereto in inwardly extending horizontal relation. The stud 24 has a reduced end portion 26 which is journalled in a bore 27 formed in the support 20. The reduced end portion 26 is headed over at 26a to lock the side bar 22 in pivotal relation to the support 20.

A stop bracket 28 is welded to the outer face of the support .20 and has at its forward end an upstanding stop flange 29, as best seen in Figures 5 and 6, to engage the side bar 22 supporting it in horizontal position. The stop bracket 28 has a'rear end edge 30 which is positioned to engage the lower rear edge of the side bar 22 to limit the upward swinging movement of the side bar 22 with respect to the frame 13, as can be best seen in Figure 5.

A spring 31 is coiled about the stud 24 and has an end portion 32 thereof engaging a pin 33 riveted to the side bar 22 through a bore 34. The opposite end 35 of the spring 31 engages a pin 36 riveted to the support 26 through a bore 37. The spring 31 normally biases the side bar 22 upwardly with respect to the support 20 to a position where the rear bottom edge of the side bar 22 engages the rear edge 30 of the stop bracket 28.

A spring arm, generally indicated at 38, extends generally parallel to the side bar 22 on the outer side thereof and has a flat base portion 39 secured to the rear end edge of the side bar 22 by rivets 40. The spring arm 38 has an outwardly offset central portion 41 and an outwardly bowed forward end portion 42. An angular clip 43 is secured to the spring arm 38 adjacent the outwardly bowed end 42 thereof and, has a horizontal portion 44 overlying the upper edge'of the side bar 22 slightly spaced thereabove. The U-shaped frame 21, the bars 18 including the support members 20, and the means connecting the frame 21 to the support members 20 constitute a shelf structure of which there are a plurality arranged in vertically spaced relation.

A generally flat cardboard divider 45 is supported on the upper edges of the side bars 22 and the forward bar 23. The divider 45 has depending flanges 46 formed on the opposite side edges and front edge thereof with the flange 46 on the opposite sides engaging between the spring arm 38 and the side bar. 22 so that the horizontal portion 44 of the clip 43 overlies the divider 45, as best seen in Figure 4. The spring arm 38 and clip 43 releasably secures the divider 45 to the frames 21.

In the use and operation of the invention aplurality of beverage bottle containers 47 are positioned on the platform 12 with a plurality of beverage bottles 48 contained therein. A divider 45 is secured to the lowermost frame 21, and this frame 21 is pulled downwardly to a horizontal position in engagement with the stop flange 29 and with the divider 45 in engagement with the tops of the bottles 48. In this position, a plurality of beverage bottle containers 47 are supported on the divider 45 in the same manner as they were supported on the platform 12. The succeeding frames 21 and their dividers 45 are loaded in the same manner until the display device 10 is completely filled with beverage bottle con.- tainers 47.

As the products are sold from the display device 10, the beverage bottle containers 47' are individually re- 'moved by the customer until the last container on each divider 45 releases the weight on the frame 21 permitting the display device is completely empty;

The divider 45 serves as a stabilizing member between" venting the containers 47 from the display device 10.,

being dislodged from Referring now to Figure 7, a modified form of the invention is illustrated-wherein the: legs 14a are provided with vertically elongated apertures 49 to permit the bolts 19 to be vertically adjusted to permitalignrnent of the bars 1 8with respect to the legs 14 and to each-othen It will be noted that the top and underneath side of the divider 45 and depending flanges 46 providefor display advertising on both sides and that the divider 45 is of'a disposable charactersoas to be readily removed and replaced either to change the advertising or to provide a fresh divider when the old one has become'worn oridamaged. The invention serves the dual purpose of storage and display of various goods and for advertising thesame by suitable matter on the surfaces of the divider, including the depending flanges of the latter. The divider 45 does not necessarily have to be made of card board and can'be of any suitable materiaL'hence, the term cardboard is not to be considered as a limitation but must be regarded as a genericterm. The materialshould,

however, be .fiexible to the extent that it will giveslightly and thereby compensate for variances in the heightof the goods placed on the divider. The goods are notnecessarily limited to bottled goods. This term is generic' to cans, bottles, andother items suitable for display or storage by means of this invention, It will be noted that when the dividers are full of goods',;each time sorne of the goods is removed,ia portion of the advertising is displayed and hence the absence of someofthe goods does not detract from the display value. The slight give in the dividers permits both an upward movement and also for the load to be transmitted to the lower divider without affecting the divider supporting frame. Irregularities in the heights of the displayed items are thustaken air brake eifect and helps to prevent sudden upsweep when the divider is'relieved of contents thereon, thus compensating for any excess strength, if any, in the the layers of stacked beverage bottle containers-I47: pre

towithout departing from 5 the scope "of the appended claims. i What is claimed is: 1. A display device comprising 'a base, an upright inverted U-shaped frame rigidly secured to the rear side of said base and extending upwardly thereaboveQa plurality of vertically spaced shelf structures mounted on said upright frame-with each of said shelf structures comprising a generally horizontal transverse bar, means bers, said stop bracket having a flange formed on the forward end thereof engaging the under side of said side 7 care of. The divider having a solid surface creates an a Having thus described. the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood thatnumerous structural modifications and adaptations may be: resorted bars to support: said-horizontal frame in ahorizontal position, said stop bracket having a rear, edge arranged to engage the lower rear edge of said side barsto limit the upward movement of said horizontal frame with respect to said transverse bar. a a

2. A device as claimed in claim l wherein saidmeans pivotally securing said side bars to said support member 'includes a transverselyextending pivot pin secured to saidside bar and journalled in said support member, and'said spring means includes acoil encompassing said pivot pin with the opposite end portions thereof engaging respectively said support member and said side bar.

3. A deviceas claimed in claim 1 wherein aspring arm is secured to the rear end portion ofeach of said side bars extending forwardly therewith in contacting relation with the outer side face thereof.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 291,030 Clapper Jan. 1,,1894 717,247 McCaskey Dec. 30, 1902 1,205,411 Thulander Nov. 21,1916 1,555,896 Webster; Oct. 6, 1925 1,786,250 Knoth Dec. 23, 1930 1,788,490 Lewis Jan. 13, 1931 2,559,099 West July 3,- 1951 2,616,143 Falkner Nov; 4, 1952 2,637,445 Patterson May 5, 1953 2,713,820 Horii July 26, 1955 2 ,775,352 Waite Dec; 25, 1956 V FOREIGN PATENTS 17,336 Great Britain of 1906 462,313 Great Britain -1-.. of l937 732,494 1932 France -1; of 

